Social Service Office

In this section

The USEK management has identified nine categories of students who may apply for a reduction of their tuition fees (no reduction may be granted for registration fees). The attached table provides details about these categories, reduction percentages, the deadlines for students to submit their requests to the Social Service Office, and the requested documentation.

However, the Social Service Office reserves the right to cancel the allotted reduction if the student is on probation.

Categories of students who are eligible for a reduction:
1. Students who are members of the same family and are simultaneously registered at USEK
2. Brother, sister, nephew or niece of a Lebanese Maronite Order (OLM) member
3. USEK employee
4. Son or daughter of a USEK employee
5. Full-time faculty at USEK / Son or daughter of a full-time faculty member at USEK (fully engaged)
6. Full-time faculty at USEK / Son or daughter of a full-time faculty member at USEK (partially engaged)
7. Part-time faculty at USEK / Son or daughter of a part-time faculty member at USEK (12h and more)
8. Son or daughter of a USEK employee / Son or daughter of a full-time faculty member at USEK / Son or daughter of a part-time faculty member at USEK who is registered in the School of Music
9. Students who are members of a USEK sports team
10. Students who are members of the USEK Choir
11. Student jobs
12. Students who submit a social aid request

N.B.: More details about the 8th category can be found in the procedures of the Student Affairs Office (SAO).

If a student fits several of the aforementioned categories, only the higher reduction will apply. In other words, students cannot cumulate reductions and will only benefit from the higher amount.

If a student benefits from a reduction granted by the Social Service Office and later obtains another discount, such as a merit-based scholarship, the Social Service Office sets the amount of the global reduction, taking into account the socioeconomic situation of the concerned student.

The Social Service Office reserves the right to cancel given reductions in the following cases:

Falsification of data given by the student to the Social Service Office;

Withdrawing and filling in the social file
Every student who wishes to submit a social aid request in order to have their tuition fees reduced has to submit a social file to the Social Service Office. This file is to be downloaded from the University Intranet or from the website, printed integrally and filled in manually by the student and their parent(s) (or guardian) who should both sign the request. All the required documents listed at the end of the social file are to be submitted with the request.

Submitting the social file to the Social Service Office
Reduction requests are submitted beforehand:
- Current students are required to submit/renew their social file between February 1 and April 30 of the ongoing year so that they can benefit from a reduction for the following year.
- First-year students submit the social file following their registration between September 1 and October 31.

Meeting with the social worker
The student has to go to the Secretariat of the Social Service Office during the aforementioned period to set an appointment during which they will submit the social file to the concerned social worker. The presence of the parent(s) (or guardian) may be required during this meeting. The information provided in the file or verbally during the meeting remain confidential. Any false data given to the Social Service Office may, however, result in a cancellation of the reduction on tuition fees granted beforehand to the concerned student.

The social worker will then assess the modalities to adopt for examining the file: examining the socioeconomic situation of the concerned student and the academic file, consulting the Dean/Head of Unit to which the student is attached, conducting home visits (upon signing the social file, the student agrees to accept home visits by a USEK social worker), etc.

Decision committee
The final decision regarding reductions on tuition fees is made by a committee formed from a multidisciplinary team. No reduction is automatically renewed and approved reductions are valid for one academic year only.

Cumulation
If a student fits several of the aforementioned categories, only the higher reduction will apply. In other words, students cannot cumulate reductions and will only benefit from the higher amount.

If a student benefits from a reduction granted by the Social Service Office and later obtains another discount, the Social Service Office sets the amount of the global reduction, taking into account the socioeconomic situation of the concerned student.

Application modalities
The Social Service Office reserves the right to cancel given reductions in the following cases:

Falsification of data given by the student to the Social Service Office;

Students have to pay their tuition fees within the deadlines set beforehand by the Financial Administration of the University. However, in some particular cases, the Social Service Office is entitled to spread the payment of a student’s tuition fees over several months according to a payment calendar set in keeping with the student’s real capacities and based on the social file they have previously submitted to the Social Service Office. The spreading of payment should not extend beyond the end of the current semester. However, in some extreme cases and upon close examination of the student’s file, the Director of the Social Service Office may grant a spreading plan that extends beyond the ongoing semester or academic year.

Students who wish to spread their tuition fees payments according to another calendar than the one established by the USEK Financial Administration should secure prior agreement of the Social Service Office. Students should go to the Social Service Office at the beginning of each semester in order to set a personalized payment calendar.

The Social Service Office guarantees a quality of presence and listening, and an availability of service for students (orientation, analysis, reflection, etc.). It provides regular support for students who need it, by means of:
‐ Family intervention depending on situations, upon request and according to needs (meeting with the parents, home visits, orientation or other);
‐ Individual intervention according to needs and requests. It is worth mentioning that this follow-up is entirely confidential and without any cultural, religious or nationality-related discrimination.

The Social Service Office collaborates with several specialists and various units within the University, including: psychology, psychiatry and speech therapy services, the University Pastoral Office, the Student Affairs Office, etc.